Diddled by Dawson and 2 Million Chess Moves.

Ken Reid (1919–1987) was a brilliant comic artist. In the 1970’s he had the
back page of ‘Shiver & Shake!’ (a good name for chess magazine that) all
to himself and did a full page drawing on various themes. Here he does Chess.


His most famous creations were Roger the Dodger, Jonah and of course Face Ache.
Face Ache’s skill was scrunging his face and body into any shape he wished to.

This is Face Ache's normal face.


This is one of his scrunges


And here Ken has a figure that looks like me.




Try these, The first was by composed by Korolikov and Mitrofanov in Moscow 1961.

White to play and win. Solution to this one is at the bottom.

V. Korchnoi - F. Gheorghiu Phillips & Drew Kings London 1980

White played 47. Rc6 and the games was eventually drawn. Can you see a better move.
Reveal Hidden Content

An easy one. White to play and mate in two moves. There is only one way to do it.

The instructive point is seeing why only one move wins.
Reveal Hidden Content


Recently I was diddled, duped and deceived by Thomas Raynor Dawson (1889-1951)
One of Dawson’s specialties was creating Fairy Chess or Alternative Chess Problems.
He often composed these problems to fit in with a fictional story or joke like this one.

White has made a wager he will lose this game . It is White to play and lose (How?)

All the normal rules of chess apply. White is in check and has to get out it ........and lose.
I could not get it. White has only one move 1.g6 and that is checkmate. How did he lose?
Reveal Hidden Content

I’ll give another T. R. Dawson. In this one the rules are any pieces that is guarded
by one of it’s own pieces cannot move. So you can only move undefended pieces.

White to play and mate in four moves by only moving unguarded pieces.

The only unit that is not protected is the pawn. So only that, at the moment, can move.



I was playing over this game a few days ago.

A. Firouzja - M. Bluebaum Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2017 (White to play)

White of course played 41.g7 and Black resigned. 47 h7 losses to 47.Rxg6+

So I wondered if any of you lot had done something silly (but instructive)
in Rook endings when a lone Rook is tackling two connected passed pawns.

iqubalsayid - Waratah RHP 2022 Black finds the only move to lose.


barcaboy - jansax RHP 2008 White plays the winning move but does not realise it.


mattycharlie - nibbe RHP 2008 Black lost this failing to spot a good trick in this ending.


sulabh - S0AP RHP 2020 Black missed another endgame trick well worth knowing.




Texas Nurse made their 2 millionth on Red Hot Pawn on the
7th Oct 2023. It was 1.e4 v Zorro the Fox. Game 15449360


When it's finished I'll note up the game here.


Solution to Korolikov and Mitrofanov . It is actually a mate in 5
but pure problems never start with a check. so I've called it a study


The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 198022